System and Method for Managing Sponsorships

ABSTRACT

A system and method for managing sponsorships by a sponsor, in which the party requesting the sponsorship requests to use content owned and protected by the sponsor, such as trademarks, logos, and copyrighted material. An embodiment of the method involves receiving, at a computer network site, a request for sponsorship from a requester and responding to the request by sending either an approval or a rejection. If an approval is sent, the method further involves providing the requestor with access to content of the sponsor through the site. As part of providing this access, the method can involve requiring the requestor to accept an agreement posted on the site. The method can also include monitoring the requestor&#39;s actual use of the content.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/021,422, entitled “System and Method forManaging Sponsorships,” filed Dec. 19, 2001, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,405, entitled “System andMethod for Selection and Protecting Intellectual Property Assets,” filedDec. 29, 2000, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to electronic commerce andintellectual property transactions, and more particularly, to a systemand method for approving sponsorships by a sponsor, for completingagreements concerning the terms and conditions for using contentprotected by the sponsor, and for downloading and monitoring the use ofthe protected content.

2. Background of the Invention

Large corporations entertain many requests for charitable donations.These requests ask a corporation to sponsor a charitable organization orevent by contributing money or other resources (e.g., employee time).For practical reasons, the corporation cannot agree to every request,and therefore must be selective in deciding which causes to support. Inmaking this choice, the corporation therefore favors charities thatpromote causes and values aligned with the corporation's own interests,and that generate positive perceptions of the corporation within thecommunity.

In general, the requests for charitable donations come in two varieties,depending on the size of the donation and the potential for publicity.The first type of request asks for a title or flagship sponsorship,which typically involves a large contribution by the corporation and amarquee advertisement of the corporation's participation. Thissponsorship is often a part of an ongoing relationship between thecorporation and charity, such as an annual sponsorship of a walk-a-thonor benefit dinner. For example, the BellSouth Corporation annuallysponsors the BellSouth Classic PGA golf tournament, the proceeds ofwhich benefit several charities. In the year 2000, for example, thetournament donated $700,000 to the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

The second type of donation request asks for a small sponsorship. Theserequests typically ask for small donations, associated with isolated,one-time events. As an example, Troop 288 of the Atlanta Area CouncilBoy Scouts of America may request from the BellSouth Corporation asponsorship of $1,000 for a wilderness camp outing.

The amount of effort that the corporation expends in responding to thesedonation requests depends on whether the request is for a titlesponsorship or a small sponsorship. For title sponsorships, with theirsizeable donations and significant publicity, corporations devoteconsiderable time and effort to crafting a detailed agreement with thecharitable organization. These title sponsorships often involve large,well-organized charities that possess the resources and expertise tohandle these formalities. Typically, the parties enter into a formalwritten agreement that stipulates the terms of the sponsorship,including details such as the amount to be donated by the corporationand how the corporation will be recognized in materials promoting theevent. The agreements are consummated through one-on-one telephoneconversations and face-to-face meetings between representatives of thecorporation and the charity.

A key aspect of these agreements is the use of the corporation'sintellectual property, such as trademarks, logos, advertising,collateral materials, and copyrighted materials. To protect suchproperty, the corporation must diligently guard against violations of,for example, its trademarks and copyrighted materials. Morespecifically, for a trademark owner to maintain rights in its trademark,the owner must ensure the consistent use of the trademark, includingcharacteristics such as color, font, and spelling. The corporation istherefore careful to specify the conditions under which the charity canuse the corporation's trademarks and logos. As an example, theseguidelines may prohibit the alteration or adaptation of its logos, andmay specify what prominence the corporation's logos should assume inrelation to other logos promoting the charitable event. These trademarkand logo policies establish the corporation's interest in its marks andcreate a record of due diligence, which is useful for any futureenforcement actions against infringers or challengers.

In addition to distributing official trademarks and logos and theguidelines for their use, a corporation can also regularly monitor theuse of the trademarks and logos to establish a stronger record of duediligence. In the prior art, corporations typically accomplish suchmonitoring by, for example, asking the charities for samples of how thetrademarks or logos appear in promotional materials. Charities typicallyprovide these samples in a number of conventional ways, includingmailings and facsimile transmissions.

For title sponsorships, the corporation is able to address these mattersof intellectual property on an individual basis because of theconsiderable resources devoted to establishing the relationship with thecharity, and because of the small number of title sponsorships in whichthe corporation participates annually. This investment in resources isjustified when considering the valuable attention the corporationreceives as a principal benefactor.

In contrast to the limited numbers of title sponsorships, largecorporations respond to many more requests for small sponsorships. Infact, for nationwide companies having several regional offices, it isnot unusual to receive many hundreds of requests annually. Although eachof these small sponsorships entails a smaller donation, often for aone-time event, the administrative burden in processing the requests iscomparable to that required for title sponsorship agreements. Indeed,for each small sponsorship request, the corporation still must reviewand approve the request, provide official logo images to the charity,obtain the charity's consent to the terms and conditions of the use ofthe logo, monitor the charity's use of the logo, and provide brandcollateral updates to all parties currently registered. Realistically,however, for these small sponsorships, the small donation and limitedpublic exposure of the event do not justify a huge expenditure ofresources by the corporation. The corporation would therefore prefer amore streamlined approach that automatically processes a request forsmall sponsorship. The process would preferably satisfy the duediligence for which the corporation is responsible in protecting itsmarks, while at the same time would use as little of the corporation'sadministrative resources as possible.

As a hypothetical example, consider the donation request mentioned abovefor the camp outing of Troop 288 of the Atlanta Area Council Boy Scoutsof America. The request would likely include a statement of the event tobe sponsored, the amount of the requested donation, and particularsabout the event, such as the date, time, and location. Therepresentative of the Boy Scouts would most likely contact a publicrelations employee, a customer service representative, or a marketingrepresentative of the corporation. Often, the contacted person would nothave the ultimate authority to approve the sponsorship, the means toforward official corporate trademarks and logos, or the expertise toeducate the Boy Scout representative on the proper use of the trademarksand logos.

As this scenario repeats for each of the many small sponsorshiprequests, the administrative resources of the corporation quickly becomeoverwhelmed. Further complicating the process is the reality that thecorporation receives multiple requests at different points of contactwithin the corporation, spread across different regional offices andbusiness units. Without a central approval mechanism, the corporationlacks a consistent, coherent voice, and has difficulty in tracking andresponding to requests. Consequently, its reputation for communityinvolvement can be tarnished.

In response to this need, some corporations have developed trademark andlogo licensing programs to handle the large number of requests fortrademark and logo use. Two known examples of these programs are the SunMicrosystems Logo and Certification Program and the Cisco Systems LogoProgram. According to the Sun Microsystems program (see the SunMicrosystems web site at www.sun.com/logos/dot-com/static.html), aperson requesting use of Sun's logo must first read and accept Sun'sTrademark Agreement. The requester views the agreement online and entersinto the agreement by clicking on an “accept” button, in what isgenerally known as a “click-wrap” agreement. After accepting theagreement, the requester completes a registration form and thendownloads the Sun image.

In the Cisco program (see the Cisco Systems web site atwww.cisco.com/logo/), a certified individual, a program partner, or acompany affiliated with Cisco can obtain Cisco logos that advertise thebusiness relationship that the person or company has with Cisco. In eachcase, the Cisco web site provides the individual or company with generalrules on how to use the Cisco logos, along with electronic mail (e-mail)links through which requests must be submitted. The Ciscorepresentatives who receive the e-mail evaluate each requestindividually and grant permission based on Cisco's discretion. The Ciscoweb site also posts policies regarding its trademarks and copyrightedmaterials, and a policy that specifically addresses the use of Ciscotrademarks and copyrighted materials on the Web.

Unfortunately, these conventional license tracking systems onlypartially solve the problems associated with managing sponsorships. Inparticular, these conventional systems focus narrowly on the trademarkand logo aspects of the process, in which a requestor reviews andaccepts an agreement, and downloads an image for use in promotionalmaterials. The systems do not, however, address the initial inquiry tothe corporation and the corporation's approval of the sponsorship, whichmust occur before a requestor can even proceed with the procurement ofthe trademarks or logos. Furthermore, once the image is downloaded, thesystems do not monitor the actual use of the trademarks or logos toconfirm compliance with the stated guidelines. Thus, prior art systemsdo not provide any kind of follow-up mechanism to track, archive, oroversee the charities' use of the trademarks and logos.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a system and method for managing sponsorships.Unlike the license tracking systems of the prior art, which address onlyclick-wrap agreements and the downloading of protected content, thepresent invention encompasses the entire sponsorship process, includingthe initial request for sponsorship and the subsequent monitoring of theuse of the protected content. In particular, the present inventionprovides a central, automatic approval mechanism with which a sponsoringentity can accept and respond to multiple requests for smallsponsorships. A sponsoring entity can use the system and method of thepresent invention to automatically track sponsorship requests, to obtainconsent agreements associated with each request, and to monitor the useof the protected content covered by each agreement. With thesecapabilities, the present invention enables a sponsoring entity toquickly respond to requests for sponsorship and to maintain a strong,positive presence within its community, all while preserving itsadministrative resources and establishing a clear record of duediligence in protecting its intellectual property.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method formanaging sponsorships involves receiving, at a computer network site, arequest for sponsorship from a requester and responding to the requestby sending either an approval or a rejection. If an approval is sent,the method further involves providing the requestor with access tocontent of the sponsor through the site. As part of providing thisaccess, the method can involve requiring the requester to accept anagreement posted on the site.

The method can also include monitoring the requestor's actual use of thecontent by, for example, sending a communication to the requester askingfor a sample use of the content, receiving the sample use from therequester, and determining whether the sample use complies with theagreement. In one embodiment, the method uses manual inspection todetermine whether the sample use complies. In another embodiment, themethod electronically analyzes the sample use, using tools such as imagerecognition, digital rights management, and digital watermarkingsoftware.

In another embodiment, monitoring the requestor's actual use of thecontent involves tracking the content that is accessed by individualrequesters.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to respond torequests for sponsorships and for protected content (e.g., intellectualproperty) related to the sponsorship.

Another object of the present invention is to distribute intellectualproperty while establishing a record of due diligence in protecting theintellectual property.

These and other objects, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention are described in greater detail in the detailed description ofthe invention and the attached materials. Additional features andadvantages of the invention will be set forth in the description thatfollows, will be apparent from the invention, or may be learned bypracticing the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system for managingsponsorships, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary flow chart outlining a method for managingsponsorships, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is an exemplary flow chart outlining the sponsorship approvalphase of a method for managing sponsorships, according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIGS. 3B and 3C are screen images of exemplary graphical user interfacesfor submitting a request for sponsorship, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4A is an exemplary flow chart outlining the terms and conditionsphase of a method for managing sponsorships, according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 4B is a screen image of an exemplary graphical user interface forgaining access to secured computer network pages of a sponsor, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4C is a screen image of an exemplary graphical user interface fornavigating secured computer network pages of a sponsor, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4D is a screen image of an exemplary graphical user interface fordisplaying terms and conditions, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4E is a screen image of an exemplary graphical user interface fordisplaying terms and conditions for printing, according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 4F is a screen image of an exemplary graphical user interfacedisplayed in response to a requestor's refusal of terms and conditions,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4G is a screen image of an exemplary e-mail message confirming arequestor's acceptance of terms and conditions, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is an exemplary flow chart outlining the download and monitorphase of a method for managing sponsorships, according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a screen image of an exemplary graphical user interface fordownloading content of the sponsor, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for managing sponsorships, according toan embodiment of the present invention. As shown, system 100 includes arequestor computer 102 in communication with a sponsor server 104through a computer network 106. Computer network 106 may be, forexample, the Internet or the World Wide Web.

Requestor computer 102 includes an e-mail application 108 and a networkbrowser application 110. An entity requesting a sponsorship (e.g., acharitable organization) uses requester computer 102 to communicate withthe sponsor that is operating server 104. Network browser application102 enables requester computer 102 to locate and communicate withsponsor server 104 over computer network 106. This communication couldinclude interacting with a web interface that prompts the entry of datainto data fields, which then populate a requester information database118 (described below). E-mail application 108 enables requester computer102 to send e-mail to and receive e-mail from sponsor server 104 throughcomputer network 106. Although shown separately, e-mail application 108and network browser application 110 could, of course, be a singleapplication, or could be parts of other applications of requestercomputer 102.

Sponsor server 104 includes a sponsor application 112, a contentdatabase 114, a terms and conditions database 116, and a requesterinformation database 118. An entity that receives requests forsponsorship uses sponsor server 104 to communicate with and respond tothe requesters through computer network 106. Although FIG. 1 showsserver 104 in communication with only one requester computer 102, one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate that server 104 could be incommunication with multiple requester computers.

Sponsor application 112 includes an e-mail application 120 for sendingand receiving e-mail, a network application 121 for communicating withrequester computer 102 over computer network 106, and a monitorapplication 122 for monitoring requesters' uses of protected content(discussed in more detail below). Although FIG. 1 shows e-mailapplication 120, network application 121, and monitor application 122 asseparate subcomponents of sponsor application 112, all of theapplications could, of course, be individual applications, subcomponentsof other applications of sponsor server 104, or various subcombinationsof each other.

Content database 114 contains the sponsor's content that the requestorwishes to use, such as trademarks, logos, or other intellectual propertyassociated with the sponsor. Terms and conditions database 116 containsthe agreements that requestors must accept before they are able toobtain the content of content database 114. Requestor informationdatabase 118 stores data associated with each requester, including, forexample, contact information (e.g., e-mail address) and whether arequester has accepted the terms and conditions. Although, for clarity,FIG. 1 represents databases 114, 116, and 118 as individual databases,one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that these databasescould be a single database or many separate databases.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method for managing sponsorships,according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2,the method includes three phases 200, 202, and 204. In the sponsorshipapproval phase 200, a sponsor receives and responds to a request forsponsorship. After the sponsorship is approved, in the terms andconditions phase 202, the sponsor requires the requester to accept anagreement that defines conditions for using protected content of thesponsor. Finally, in the download and monitor phase 204, the sponsorprovides the requester with access to the protected content and monitorsthe requestor's actual use of the content. These three phases 200, 202,and 204 are discussed in more detail below.

With continuing reference to system 100 of FIG. 1, FIG. 3A outlines thesponsorship approval phase 200. This phase 200 begins in step 300 withsponsor server 104 receiving a request for sponsorship from requestercomputer 102 through computer network 106. Although any means ofelectronically forwarding this request is acceptable, as an example, therequester could use e-mail application 108 to send the request in theform of an e-mail message. Preferably, however, the requester usesnetwork browser application 110 to submit the request through an onlineform posted by network application 121. In this manner, using datafields of the form, the sponsor can prompt the requester for requiredinformation, such as a description of the event for which thesponsorship is sought, a date and duration of the event, an e-mailaddress of the requestor, and the requested donation amount. Sponsorserver 104 stores this data in requester information database 118.

FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI)displayed on requester computer 102, for submitting a request forsponsorship and providing the required information. As shown, therequester provides contact information 310, including name, address,telephone numbers, and e-mail address. The requester also creates apassword 311 that the requester will use to securely access the termsand conditions acceptance process and the content download process(described below). In one embodiment, the requestor's e-mail address(entered in contact information 310) is used as the requestor's loginidentification, so that the requester has the ability to retrievepassword 311 in the event that the requestor forgets it (e.g., thesponsor can send to the requestor's e-mail address an e-mail messagelisting the password).

As a part of the request for donation, an additional part of the formprompts the requester for the amount and reason for the sponsorship, andfor the contact person at the sponsor who directed the requester to theweb site to register. FIG. 3C illustrates an exemplary GUI displayingthis part of the form on requester computer 102. As shown, the requesterprovides information about the event 313 (e.g., title, description,start date, and duration), the amount of the sponsor fee 314, andcontact information for the contact person 316. The contact information316 enables the sponsor to track the origin of each sponsorship request,thereby giving the sponsor the ability to funnel multiple requestsreceived at different points of contact to a central tracking andresponse mechanism. After filling out the data fields of the form, therequester submits the request for donation to sponsor server 104 byclicking on the submit button 312.

In completing the forms of FIGS. 3B and 3C, a requester is able toself-register with the sponsor, automatically storing the requestor'sprofile in requestor information database 118 without causing additionaladministrative work for the sponsor. The requestor can also return tothe forms of FIGS. 3B and 3C at any time to maintain the accuracy of therequestor's profile information (e.g., the requester can enter a changedtelephone number or address). In addition, with the profile informationstored in requester information database 118, the sponsor can, at anytime, review the requester profiles, verify the information containedtherein, and change a requestor's ability to access restricted pages ofthe sponsor's web site.

At the conclusion of step 300, the sponsor has all of the informationnecessary to decide whether to approve the request for sponsorship. Instep 302, the sponsor makes this decision. The outcome of the decisioncan be based on considerations such as the cause that the requester ispromoting, the requested donation amount, and the amount of charitablefunds available to the sponsor.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in step 302, sponsorapplication 112 automatically decides whether a sponsorship request isapproved based on predefined rules. These rules could, for example, bebased on a list of approved charities and on prescribed single donationlimits and cumulative donation limits for a given period. For example, asponsor may decide to approve sponsorships only from a list of tenpossible charities, to limit any single sponsorship donation to lessthan $5,000, and to limit the total amount of sponsorship donations toless than $30,000 for a given quarter. A request that violates any ofthese limitations would be rejected.

Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, in step302, an employee of the sponsor reviews the request and decides whetherit should be approved.

If the sponsor rejects the request (“NO” in step 302 of FIG. 3A), then,in step 304, sponsor application 112 returns a communication conveyingthe rejection to requester computer 104. This communication could be,for example, an electronic communication such as an e-mail message sentby e-mail application 120 or a page displayed by network application121. Alternatively, this communication could involve an employee of thesponsor contacting the requester to discuss the rejection. If therequest is rejected, then the process ends in step 304 with nosponsorship deal completed.

If, in step 302, the sponsor approves the request for sponsorship, then,in step 306, the sponsor releases a payment to the requester for theamount requested. This payment can be in the form of a conventionalpaper check or, alternatively, can be an electronic transaction (e.g.,electronic funds transfer, or EFT) between sponsor server 104 andrequester computer 102.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the requesterpays the sponsor for the sponsorship, instead of the sponsor's donatingfunds to the requester. For example, the sponsor could be a corporationor celebrity that is endorsing a product made by the requester. Toreceive the sponsor's endorsement, the requester would therefore pay thesponsor. Thus, in this alternative embodiment, step 306 would entail therequestor's releasing a payment to the sponsor. The sponsor couldfacilitate this payment by providing, for example, a credit card paymentvehicle.

In step 308, the sponsor activates a password for the requester, notingthe activation in requester information database 118. This passwordenables the requestor to access secured pages posted by sponsorapplication 112. These secured pages are only accessible by requestorsthat have registered a profile in requester information database 118.The secured pages provide the requester with access to further featuresof the sponsor's web site (described below) and to general informationabout how to access content stored in content database 114 (e.g.,trademarks and logos). As an example, sponsor application 112 wouldactivate password 311 (FIG. 3B), which the requestor entered in step300.

In an alternative embodiment, sponsor application 112 activates apassword associated with the payment that was released to the requestorin step 306. For instance, if the payment was in the form of aconventional paper check, the number of the check could serve as therequestor's password. In this manner, the requestor would receive thepassword when the requester receives the check from the sponsor.Similarly, if the payment was electronic, then a password or code couldbe provided as part of the electronic payment, or perhaps, as a separatee-mail message reporting the electronic payment.

With the password activated, the requestor is able to access a firstlevel of secured pages displayed by sponsor application 112. This firstlevel of secured pages does not include access to the downloading ofdesired content. The conclusion of step 308 marks the end of thesponsorship approval phase (phase 200 of FIG. 2).

FIG. 4A outlines the terms and conditions phase (phase 202 of FIG. 2).As shown, this phase begins in step 400 with the sponsor providing therequester with access to a first level of secured pages (e.g., a website) over computer network 106. At this point in the process, therequester has received approval of the sponsorship (and perhaps also thepayment), and is, for example, putting together materials promoting thecharitable event. The requester, therefore, would like to advertise thesponsor's name in the promotional materials and needs the sponsor'sofficial trademarks and logos to do so.

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary GUI for gaining access to the firstlevel of secured pages as a part of step 400. As shown, the requester,through requester computer 102, enters her e-mail address and passwordin data fields 410 and 412, respectively. In response, sponsorapplication 112 consults requester information database 118 to confirmthat the e-mail address and password are correct, and that therequestor's account (i.e., password) has been activated. Followingsuccessful confirmation, sponsor application 112 displays a secured homepage. FIG. 4C illustrates an exemplary GUI screen image of this securedhome page 416, which provides options 414 for navigating the securedpages.

In step 402, the sponsor presents terms and conditions to the requestor.Specifically, sponsor application 112 retrieves the terms and conditionsfrom terms and conditions database 116 and displays a page containingthe terms and conditions on requestor computer 102. FIG. 4D illustratesan exemplary GUI page 418 that displays the terms and conditions inwindow 420. Page 418 also contains a heading 422 that lists the name ofthe requester (described as an “organization” in FIG. 4D) and the eventthat the sponsor is sponsoring and that the requester is promoting. Page418 also provides a link 424 to a pop-up window that displays the termsand conditions for printing. FIG. 4E illustrates an exemplary GUI pagethat includes this pop-up window 425.

As shown in FIG. 4D, exemplary page 418 also provides buttons 426 and428 with which the requester responds to the posted terms andconditions. To gain access to a second level of secured pages, whichcontain further desired content (e.g., logos), the requester must agreeto the terms and conditions. Sponsor application 112 checks to see if arequester has agreed to the terms and conditions before displaying thesecond level of secured pages. If no agreement is in place, sponsorapplication 112 displays the terms and conditions for the requestor'sacceptance.

Thus, continuing with the terms and conditions phase of FIG. 4A, in step404, the requester selects either to refuse the terms and conditions byclicking the disagree button 426, or to accept the terms and conditionsby clicking the agree button 428. The requester makes this selection onpage 418, which is displayed on requester computer 102 by networkbrowser application 110. Sponsor application 112 receives the selectionfrom requester computer 102 through computer network 106.

If, in step 404, the sponsor receives the requestor's refusal (i.e., therequester clicked disagree button 426), then, in step 406, the terms andconditions phase ends and the sponsor denies the requester access to thedesired content (e.g., trademarks or logos) on a second level of securedpages. As part of this denial, sponsor application 112 displays a pageto the sponsor restating the sponsor's requirement that the requesteragree to the terms and conditions before gaining access to the desiredcontent. FIG. 4F illustrates an exemplary GUI page 430 displayed bysponsor application 112 at this point in the process. As shown, page 430includes the restatement of the policy 432. Page 430 also provides alink 434 that returns the requester to the terms and conditions page 418(FIG. 4D) for reconsideration of the agreement. Thus, the processreturns to step 402 at which point sponsor application 112 againdisplays the terms and conditions to the requestor, and gives therequester another opportunity to accept the agreement by clicking agreebutton 428 (FIG. 4D).

If, in step 404, the sponsor receives the requestor's acceptance of theterms and conditions (i.e., the requester clicked agree button 426),then, in step 408, sponsor application 112 records the requestor'sacceptance in requester information database 118. The record enables therequester to gain access to the second level of secured pages, whichcontain links to download the desired content.

Alternatively, in recording the requestor's acceptance in step 408,sponsor application 112 also enters a date stamped record of theacceptance. In this manner, the sponsor can set a finite period duringwhich the requestor's terms and conditions agreement is valid. Afterthis period expires, the sponsor can then require the requester tore-acknowledge the terms and conditions prior to gaining access toadditional web site content.

As an optional part of step 408, sponsor application 112 can also usee-mail application 120 to forward an e-mail message to the requestor,confirming that the sponsor has received the requestor's acceptance ofthe terms and conditions, that the information provided by the requesterhas been entered into requester information database 118, and that therequester can now access the second level of secured pages, whichcontain links to download the desired content. FIG. 4G illustrates anexemplary e-mail message sent as a part of step 408.

As described above, the sponsor's web site pages can have multiplelevels of access. For instance, as in shown in the flow charts of FIGS.3A and 4A, a requester receives a password to access a first level ofsecured pages, and then, to access further desired content on the website (e.g., logos), must agree to terms and conditions to access asecond level of secured pages. Although this example describes twolevels of access, access to content on a sponsor's web site could, ofcourse, be controlled at several different levels. For example, asponsor could make certain pages accessible only to requestors that haveregistered a profile, or to requestors that have registered a profilethat has been verified by the sponsor. A sponsor could make other pagesaccessible only to requesters that have registered a profile and havealso agreed to terms and conditions set out by the sponsor. A sponsorcould make still other pages accessible to any requester with a validpassword. To provide this secured access, each secured page couldinclude one or more of the following properties: (1) a unique pageidentification; (2) the file name of the page; (3) the partial InternetProtocol address of the requester, if necessary; (3) a unique passwordfor restricting access, if necessary; (4) an identification of terms andconditions that must be acknowledged; and (5) a collectionidentification, if the page belongs to a certain subset of collection ofinformation.

Returning to FIG. 4A, with the terms and conditions accepted, therequestor is able to access the secure, download pages displayed bysponsor application 112. The conclusion of step 408 marks the end of theterms and conditions phase (phase 202 of FIG. 2).

FIG. 5A outlines the download and monitor phase (phase 204 of FIG. 2).As shown, this phase begins in step 500 with sponsor application 112downloading the desired content to the requester. FIG. 5B illustrates anexemplary GUI page 530 displayed by sponsor application 112 at thispoint in the process. As shown, page 530 displays descriptions andimages of desired content, which in this example include logos andregistered trademarks. Page 530 provides notification 532 to therequestor that the requestor must provide samples of how the desiredcontent will be used. Finally, page 530 provides links 534 fordownloading the content in a variety of file formats (e.g., EPS andJPEG).

After the requestor has chosen and downloaded the desired content, instep 502, the sponsor forwards a communication to the requestor askingfor a sample use of the content. This communication could beconventional correspondence such as a mailed letter or a telephone call.Preferably, however, the communication is an automatically generatedelectronic communication. As an example, the electronic communicationcould be a web page displayed on requester computer 102 using networkbrowser application 110 (e.g., a pop-up window or frame) or could be amessage posted on the secured pages accessible to the requestor. Asanother example, the electronic communication could be an e-mail messageto the e-mail address listed for the requester in the requesterinformation database 118. In any case, the electronic communicationwould preferably include a hyperlink to automatically respond to thecommunication and to automatically take the requester to a page foruploading the sample use to sponsor server 104.

The sponsor sends the communication any time after the desired contentis downloaded. For example, the sponsor can send the communication apredetermined duration after the requester downloads the desiredcontent. As another example, timing of the communication can depend onthe particulars of the event being promoted (e.g., sent one month beforethe event).

In an embodiment of the present invention, monitor application 122automatically generates the electronic communication of step 502. As anexample, monitor application 122 consults requester information database118, which could include data such as the names and contact informationof the requestors, information about the reasons for the requests (e.g.,charity events), and indications of which content (e.g., whichtrademarks) the requesters have downloaded. Monitor application 122could sort the data to determine which requesters should receiverequests for sample uses of the downloaded content. Monitor application122 could produce reports listing this sorted data for the sponsor'sreview. In addition, monitor application 122 could automaticallygenerate requests for sample uses based on the results of the sortingand other preset criteria (e.g., monthly, quarterly, or annually). Forexample, monitor application 122 could automatically generate and send arequest for sample uses to all requestors associated with a particularcharity event one month prior to the event.

In step 504, sponsor application 112 determines whether it has receiveda response to the communication sent in step 502 within a specifiedtime. The specified time would vary according to the particulars of eachimplementation, depending on, for example, how long it would reasonablytake the requester to respond with a sample use.

If no response has been received (a “NO” response in step 505), then, instep 506, sponsor application 112 determines whether the requester hashad an ample opportunity to provide sample uses of the content. In thisexample, the test for ample opportunity is based on the number ofcommunications forwarded to the requestor. Thus, in step 506, if lessthan three communications have been sent, then, returning to step 502,the sponsor simply forwards another communication to the requesterasking for a sample use of the content.

If, however, the sponsor determines that three or more communicationshave been sent without a proper response, then the sponsor revokes therequestor's privilege to download any more content, in step 508. As partof this revocation, sponsor application 112 deactivates the passwordlisted for the requester in the requester information database 118.Optionally, as part of step 506, the sponsor also forwards anothercommunication to the requester, notifying the requester of therevocation and warning the requestor that the requestor is notauthorized to the use the downloaded content without submitting a sampleto the sponsor.

Returning to step 504, if the requestor responds to the communication,then, in step 510, the sponsor provides the requester with means foruploading the sample use to sponsor server 104. As an example, if thesponsor forwards an electronic communication in step 502, the sponsorcould provide a hyperlink in the electronic communication, which, whenactivated, would display a page for uploading the sample use to sponsorserver 104. The requestor would upload an electronic copy of the sampleuse, which sponsor application 112 would then archive in requesterinformation database 118, in step 512.

After archiving the sample use, in step 514, the sponsor audits thesample for compliance with the required terms and conditions.Specifically, the sponsor evaluates the appearance of the sample use,comparing it against the guidelines set out by the sponsor.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in step 514, an employee ofthe sponsor manually inspects the sample use. For example, the employeewould compare each feature of the sample use against the requirementsdefined for each feature in the stated terms and conditions.

In another embodiment of the present invention, in step 514, monitorapplication 122 application of sponsor application 112 performs anautomatic, electronic audit of the sample use. For example, in the caseof a logo, monitor application 122 could verify the proper dimensionsand colors of the logo, and could check the logo's prominence inrelation to other logos displayed in the promotional material. Anexample of a software application that could perform these functions ofmonitor application 122 is the image recognition software SOTISE™,produced by Technologies Sepia Inc. of Quebec City, Canada. Well-knownsoftware applications in the fields of optical character recognition,fingerprint recognition, and facial recognition could also be modifiedto serve as monitor application 122. In addition, well-known digitalrights management and watermarking techniques could be implemented aspart of monitor application 122. For example, monitor application 122could use digital watermarking to trace trademarks and to distinguishauthentic trademarks from adulterated marks.

In step 515, the sponsor, either through a manual audit by an employeeor an automatic audit by monitor application 122, returns the results ofits evaluation of the sample use, determining whether the sample use isapproved or rejected. If the sample is approved (“YES” in step 515),then, in step 516, the approval is archived in requestor informationdatabase 118 and the process ends. Preferably, also as a part of 516,the sponsor forwards a communication (e.g., an electronic communicationsuch as an e-mail message) to the requester explaining that theparticular sample use has been approved, but also, at the same time,stressing that additional uses of the content must be approved beforebeing circulated to the public. The sponsor would also preferablyforward periodic communications (e.g., biannually or annually) remindingthe requester that additional sample uses of downloaded content must besubmitted to the sponsor. In addition, if the requester downloadsadditional content (returning to step 500), then sponsor application 112repeats the subsequent steps to obtain and audit the sample use of thatadditional downloaded content.

Returning to step 515, if the sponsor rejects the sample use, then, instep 518, the sponsor forwards a communication (e.g., an electroniccommunication such as an e-mail message) to the requestor, notifying therequester that the sample use is improper and listing the terms andconditions again for review by the requestor. The sponsor also notes therejection in requester information database 118. Optionally, also as apart of step 518, the rejected sample is archived in requesterinformation database 118.

Then, in step 520, the sponsor determines whether the requester has hadsufficient opportunity to provide an acceptable sample use of thecontent. In this example, the test for sufficient opportunity is basedon the number of samples that have been rejected. Thus, if less thanthree samples have been rejected, then, returning to step 502, thesponsor forwards another communication to the requester asking for asample use of the content. The sponsor determines the number of samplerejections by consulting requester information database 118.

If, however, the sponsor determines that three or more samples have beenrejected, then the sponsor revokes the requestor's privilege to downloadany more content, in step 508. As described above for step 508, as partof this revocation, sponsor application 112 deactivates the passwordlisted for the requester in the requester information database 118.Optionally, the sponsor also forwards a communication (e.g., anelectronic communication such as an e-mail message) to the requester,notifying the requester of the revocation and warning the requester thatthe requester is not authorized to the use the rejected sample.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a sponsor uses theabove-described system and processes to track the content that is beingaccessed by individual requesters. According to this embodiment, sponsorapplication 112 maintains an access log, preferably stored in requestorinformation database 118. As an example, when a requestor attempts toaccess a secured page, sponsor application 112 captures one or more ofthe following: (1) the Internet Protocol address of the requestor; (2)the access status (e.g., whether the secured content was displayed and,if not, why it was denied); (3) the date of the attempted access; (4)the profile identification of the requester accessing the securedcontent; and (5) the identification of the secured page. Thus, with theinformation in the access log, the sponsor can track the requestor'sinteractions with the sponsor's web site. A sponsor can use thistracking tool to determine, for example, which requestor's must becontacted to provide them with brand collateral updates corresponding tocontent they have accessed and downloaded.

Although the embodiments described above illustrate the presentinvention in the context of sponsorship agreements, one of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate that the present invention is usefulfor managing many types of agreements. For example, the presentinvention could be used to manage agreements between principals andtheir authorized agents. In this way, if an authorized agent wishes toadvertise to third parties its relationship with the principal, then theprincipal can require the agent to accept certain terms and conditions,and can provide the agent, under the prescribed conditions, with contentthat facilitates such advertisement. For this reason, andnotwithstanding the particular benefits associated with using thepresent invention to manage sponsorship agreements, the system andmethod described herein should be considered broadly useful foraccepting and responding to solicitations from requestors, requiring therequestors to enter an agreement, providing the requestors with contentassociated with the agreement, and monitoring the requesters' uses ofthe content.

The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention has been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theinvention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations andmodifications of the embodiments described herein will be obvious to oneof ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scopeof the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto,and by their equivalents.

Further, in describing representative embodiments of the presentinvention, the specification may have presented the method and/orprocess of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps.However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on theparticular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process shouldnot be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps maybe possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth inthe specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims.In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of thepresent invention should not be limited to the performance of theirsteps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readilyappreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within thespirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although certainsteps are described as being performed automatically, one skilled in theart can readily appreciate that the steps may be performed manuallywithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A system for managing a sponsorship between a sponsor and a requestercomprising: (a) a content database containing protected content of thesponsor; (b) a terms and conditions database containing an agreementthat the requester must accept before gaining access to the protectedcontent; and (c) a sponsor application adapted to communicate with acomputer of the requester through a computer network, to receive arequest for sponsorship from the requester, to respond to the requestwith one of an approval and a refusal, to retrieve the agreement fromthe terms and conditions database, to present the agreement to therequester, to receive one of an acceptance and a denial of the terms andconditions from the requester, to retrieve the protected content fromthe content database, to download the protected content to the requesterafter the requester has accepted the terms and conditions, to requestand receive a sample use of the protected content from the requester,and to analyze whether the sample use complies with the agreement. 2.The system of claim 1, wherein the sponsor application is furtheradapted to exchange e-mail messages with the requestor's computer,wherein the request and receipt of the sample use are e-mail messages.3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: (d) a requesterinformation database containing data associated with the requestor. 4.The system of claim 3, wherein the request includes data including oneor more of a name of the requester, an address of the requester, atelephone number of the requester, a description of an event for whichthe sponsorship is sought, a date and duration of the event, an e-mailaddress of the requestor, a requested donation amount, a name of acontact person who directed the requestor to the site, and a passwordfor accessing secured pages posted by the network application, andwherein the network application stores the data in the requestorinformation database.
 5. The system of claim 3, wherein the sponsorapplication is further adapted to archive the sample use in therequestor information database.
 6. The system of claim 3, wherein thesponsor application is further adapted to archive in the requesterinformation database the requestor's response to the terms andconditions.
 7. The system of claim 3, wherein the sponsor application isfurther adapted to archive in the requester information database whetherthe sample use complies with the agreement.
 8. The system of claim 3,wherein the sponsor application is further adapted to archive in therequester information database whether the sample use has been receivedfrom the requestor.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the protectedcontent is one of a trademark, a logo, and a copyrighted material.
 10. Amethod for controlling use of protected content comprising the steps of:storing the protected content on a server; receiving, from a requester,a request to use the protected content; receiving information about therequestor; electronically generating and sending to the requestor anagreement defining conditions for using the protected content; receivingan electronic acceptance of the agreement from the requestor; providingthe requestor with electronic access to the protected content; andelectronically generating and sending an audit request to the requesterasking for a sample use of the protected content.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising the step of electronically receiving fromthe requester the sample use of the protected content.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising the step of manually evaluating the sampleuse.
 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step ofelectronically determining whether the sample use complies with theagreement.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step ofelectronically determining comprises analyzing the sample use with imagerecognition software.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein if the sampleuse does not comply with the agreement, the method further comprises thesteps of: sending the requester an electronic message stating that thesample use does not comply with the agreement; and terminating therequestor's electronic access to the protected content.
 16. The methodof claim 10, wherein the protected content is one of a trademark, alogo, and a copyrighted material.
 17. The method of claim 10, whereinthe step of providing the electronic access occurs only if theelectronic acceptance has been received.
 18. The method of claim 10,further comprising the step of storing the sample use on the server.